Why exhibit in a café?
Zarina: The exhibition at Café Arabia is a means of creating a cultural dialogue, by bringing art to people; it is fundamentally a café, but has an incredible upstairs space where customers can interact with and be part of the art scene in a more inadvertent way.
Why do you do it anyway?
Zarina: This exhibition is important to me; it’s a way to bring people together, to examine common themes in our lives. It’s an opportunity to create space for people to think, to talk, and to relate positively to one another. Zawia art consultancy came about as a means of addressing the shortage of viable and affordable exhibition space in Abu Dhabi; there’s such amazing energy around the art scene at the moment and I really wanted to tap into that. In particular, I wanted to promote work which is contextualised within the UAE, which represents people’s experiences here and shows the diversity of the city itself.
How do you pick which artists to promote?
Zarina: Zawia also acts as an agency, selling artists work through relationships with corporate, government and individual buyers. We are always looking for new artists, so if you are a local artist, or an artist that works with themes related to the region, you can submit your work onto our website, www.zawia.ae or contact me at zarina@zawia.ae.
So what are we looking at today?
John: My work travels its own path, in the sense that it starts from an unknown point – I don’t plan what the painting will be, it really takes me on a journey. It’s my role as the artist to make sense of the work, to connect it and to create something cohesive, something that ‘works’ from the chaos of the paint. My art is really focused around the relationships between spaces – an influence of my architectural background – working on how shapes can fit together within a designated space, how to create a unified piece with a pattern, a theme.
Phil: My photography is varied, some is documentation of events, others are people, landscapes, natural environments; I like to examine light and contrast in different imagery. In some ways I have a romanticised view of the region– I love the people, the textures, the heat, the lifestyle. I also look to explore contrast in images – for me there is a huge contrast between the UAE and Australia, and I try and show this by intensifying the colours, by pulling away from the shot, being the outsider looking in. I like to personalise shots by focussing on shapes, light, reflection, symmetry, and am always trying to capture unique moments.
Michal: The focus of my work is the environment, particularly the interface where humans and nature meet, and the impact of their behaviours on the surroundings. In my paintings I’m interested in the feelings connected with a space, so my work tends to be more abstract than realistic. My body of work – in addition to painting – includes temporary public art installations, working with other artists and community groups to develop large scale works for festivals and events.
And why are you guys exhibiting in Abu Dhabi?
John: I live here now, although I will be leaving in a couple of months; my paintings reflect the more subtle and emotional influences of being in this part of the world. For me it’s a great chance to exhibit the end product of my three years here.
Phil: I have a really positive sense of engagement with the country and its environment, and it has had a distinct effect on my work, both in terms of subject matter and technique. I try to rethink what we see every day, enhance it to encourage us to look at it with fresh eyes, to appreciate the beauty of what is around us.
Michal: Firstly, I’m an artist, so it’s what I do wherever I live! Creating art is a wonderful way of learning about the new city I am living in, different places and cultures can have surprising influences on the work produced. The arts community is beginning to emerge strongly in Abu Dhabi and I want to be part of that energy. I enjoy creating original works for people to enjoy in their homes and in public spaces.
Free, May 30 until June 5 at Café Arabia (02 643 9699).
